Circuit-closer.



ORVILLE M. TUS1ISON, 011 BAINBRIDGE, INDIANA.

CIROUIT-CLOSER.

Specification 01 Let1zers Patent.

Patented Jul, 20, 1909.

Application filed June 30, 1908. Serial N0. 441,142. 7

Tq all whom 'it mag; concem:

-l 3e 111 known that I, ORVILLE M. TUSTISON, a c1tizen of the United States, and a resident of Bainbridge, in the ccunty of Putnam und State 01 Indiana, have made cext ain new and useful Improvements in CirCuit-Closers, of which the following is a, sp'ecification.

My invention relates to circuit cl.osers, and panticularly to those circuit closers which are used in connection with the spark coils of automobiles 01? simi1ar power=dri ven vehicles.

The muin object cf my invention is to provide a circuit closer which can be operated only by a special key, und which, therefore, is notcapable of bcing operated by any pets0n other than the possessor of the key.

A further object of my invention is to provide a circuit closer, in which the actuating member is held securely in place while it is in use, thereby rendering it impossible for a separation 0f the circuit closing contacts.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdxawing, in which- Figure 1 is a. perspectiVe view of an automobile showing my circuit closer attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a side view sho.wing tlie working parts of the circuit closer, the contact's b cing open. Fig. 3 is a side view partly in section showing the contacts closed. 4 is a View partly in section, taken nt rigI1t angles along the line IVIV 01 Fig'. 2, and looking in the direction of fl1e arrows. Fig. 5 is a v1ew partly in sectiontaken at .right angles 120 Fig. 3 along the line VV and looking in the direction 0f the arrows.

In carry1ng out my invention I make use of a lock cf the pin tundbler type, in which the turning 0f the cylinder 01 barrel.

The lock is provided with the usual barrel a cylinder or barrel may be made to rotate after the key, having cam Suifaces on one edge, is inserted, thereby bringing all cf the spring-actuated pinS in a position t0 pern;)it T e commonly known Yalc locks are of this type, and for the sake cf illustration I have shown a Yale lock in the drawings, t0 which I haVe added certain parts; the corhbination 0f the locking 'mechanism with the contacts, cams and electrical connections constituting the novel features of rny invention.

Referring now to the drawings, L designates in general a lock provided with the operating mechanism heretofore referred to.

1, located in the cylindrical casing 2, whieh also con tains the spring-actuated pins of this type cf lock. In carrying out my in vention, I removepart 0f the casing and th e boltactuuting mechanism, und substitute for the latter the circuit closing contacts and the necesszury terminals in the following manum: After removing the back platte 0f the casing, I bend down an end flange, indi cated at 3 in dottedlines in Fig. 3, and upon this flange is secured an insulatin block 4 cf hmd rubber, ber, '01 other Su1iable in- Sulating material, by means of the screws 5 cured by the thun1b n11t 01 the binding screw, the other being held in electrical connection with the screw 6 by means of the nut 11 The screw (3, it will be, rernembered, fonns one cf the securing rnembers for the block 4, and hence thc bincling post 8 is electrically connected With the frame 12 through tl1e medium of the post 6 and the conducting strip 10. In the usual coristruct-ion 01 locks m? this kinrl, the barrel 1 lxas attached t0 11 l y means of tl1e screws 13 51 member 14, which 1S pmvided With cxtensions 01 arms, such am 15 and 1G, f01. actuating the sliding holt und the other lock meclxanisin. Up on one cf the'se arms 15 I sccure a contact, which may consist cf a conducting member 17 such as a metal screw, having one part 01 its circular edge cut away, 21S ShOWII at 18,

The otherv to form a large contact surface for engage- In the spring 19 is loopecl around the p1n 21, which 1s provided with a head f01 retaining the spring in position. In Fig. 3 I have shown the closed position cf the contacts. The bar: 1e1 of the lock has beenrotated by means 0f the key and the contact mernber 17 has been brought into engagement with the binding y two bincling 23, which may be 0 har rubber, wo odor 1 other suita.ble m'aterial.

In the 0 Qra1p-ion of my imp'roved device, the key 22 1s inserted in the slot in the cylinder, asin the 0perati'on of locking, anti ls given a quartr of. a Qurn. Before the key was insertd the contact membez: 17 was in the position shown in Fig. 2. After the key Ems been tu1.necl it assumes the position shown in Fi 3, wheie it is held in gngagement wi th 1b e binding post 7. Sinne the contgact member 17 is in diredt electrical 0011- nect1on with the frame, and ehe latter is (electrically connected to the binding post- 8,

electrical connection is efiected between tl1e osts 7 and 8. 'l-he conductors 24: and 25 lead from che binding pests 7 and 8 respectively, to the spark coil and battery,

und thus when the key is turned, the circuit is in condit-ion .for operation. When the key is turned aquarter of a revolution, it is impossible to withdraw it and the only means for doing so is by turning '1t back to its original position, when of cqurse the circuit will be broken as before.

In the use of my invention tl1e circuit closermay be applied to the interior of the box or casing 25, x'vhich may hold -other necessary devices 01 equipment 0f the automobile, and whichis preferably attachecl 110 the dashboard A 0f the-automobile, as shown in Fi l. The box25' is perforated aind the cylin rical casing 2 is allowed to project iyhrough tl1e Wall of the bog,

12 is secured to tl1e inner si.de of ehe box by meag1s of the serews 27 anal 28.

Et will thus be seen t-lxat I lxave provided ing block provided with while the frame a device which positively obviates the danger of she tampering with t he s'park coil circuit by mischievous or meddl'esome persons, o1 for 'putting the 'mechanism of the automobile out of oommission, and for preventing the dan er of the theft of the vehicle when it is eft ur'1occupied.

I claim 1. In a circuit closer, the combination of a rotatable cylinder lmving a zigzag slota lateral extension secured to the inner' end of said ylinder, 21 contaet screw secu red to said lateral extensiorl, a frame in electrical con'nection with said contact, an insulating block secured to said frzime, a pair of binding osts carrie l by said block, one of said binchng posts being in electrical connection with said frame, and the othex 0f said posts being insulated fro'msaid frame and having a. flattened contact head, 'a spring secured t0 said frame and having one end in engagement with sa'1d contact, and the other a1- ranged to bear against a flange 911- said frame, 2'md a key adapted to enter saicl zigzag slot and toturn said cyliz'1de'r a quaxter of a revolution, thereby bringing said sontact into engagemen t with said head.

2. In a. c1rcuit closer, the combination of a rotatable cylinder having a slot, a key adapted to enter saicl slot ancl to turn said cylinder, a lateral extension on the innier end of sai'cl cylinder, a contacb membei secured to said lateral extension, an insulata pair of binding posts, one of said binding posts having a head, and a spring arranged to bear aga1nst the contact membe r and to hold the latter in.

close engagement with the head when the cylinder is turned.

ORVILLE M. TUSTISON.

Witnessesi i 1 Nnm.m G. TUSTISON, REH) A, TUSTISON. 

